There was much less buzz surrounding the man who fired the shot that Dave Bolland tipped with his stick, and into the net off Shaw's now-famously loved shin pads. Michal Rozsival has been a multiple-overtime hero before, scoring in the second extra session for the New York Rangers against the Buffalo Sabres in Game 3 of the 2007 Eastern Conference semifinals.

The other goal scorer for New York in that game was Jaromir Jagr, who, in the battle for the Cup, is on opposite sides from his fellow Czech.

"I've played with him, but it's just another hockey game, and he's just another hockey player," Rozsival said, repeating the most common turn of phrase used for a former teammate. But then he corrected himself. "It's the most important games of my career, for sure, and I'm pretty sure it's important for him, too. He hasn't been in the finals for a long time."

Jagr's 21-year wait between championship rounds since winning back-to-back titles with the Penguins has been well chronicled. But his name is on the Cup already. Rozsival is getting his first shot at a title since breaking into the league with Jagr's Pittsburgh team in 1999.

"I've been waiting for this for a long time," the 34-year-old defenseman said. "A lot of years, a lot of sweat, lot of blood. It would be nice to win one. It's the trophy you dream about, growing up as a hockey player. It's important, but I don't want to think too far ahead. It could be my last shot at it. The best I can do is go out there and give it all."

Rozsival did that last year with the Phoenix Coyotes, getting as far as the Western Conference finals before falling to the Los Angeles Kings. As painful as it was to come three wins from a trip to the finals and fall short, it also fueled Rozsival's competitive fire.

"I got a little taste of it being in a conference final last year," Rozsival said. "I definitely felt, after beating Nashville in the second round, and playing in the conference finals against L.A., I felt I'm getting close—closer and closer. I got a little taste of it, and this time, it happened. I'm glad to be in this position this time."

Rozsival arrived in this position after signing a one-year deal with the Blackhawks. He missed time with both lower- and upper-body injuries, and did not score in a season for the first time in his NHL career. In the 27 games the Blackhawks played with Rozsival, they went 22-3-2, compared to a still-excellent but not-quite-as-good 14-4-3 without.

"Rozy brought a great element to our team," Chicago coach Joel Quenneville said. "Great experience, patient with the puck, defends well, positionally strong. He really helped our team in an area of need from last year to this year. ... He's that stabilizing force on the back end. Gives us more depth, can play meaningful minutes. He has really helped the strength of our back end."

In the end, Rozsival gave the Blackhawks what they expected out of him as a low-risk signing: low-risk play. Quenneville used the veteran in favorable situations, and Roszival rewarded him by helping Chicago maintain its high-possession style.

Then, in Game 1, he started the sequence that put them three wins from a Cup.

It may be worth wondering if the Blackhawks could have made a deeper run into the playoffs last year had Rozsival been on their side. As it was, Chicago's performance against Phoenix in the first round of the playoffs, in a series where five of six games went to overtime, was part of the reason that Rozsival wanted to join the Blackhawks.

"We just had such a hot goalie, Mike Smith played so great, and we were able to score the goals," Rozsival said. "Sometimes that's the way it is. I didn't necessarily feel like we were the better team, but we were able to win the games. (The Blackhawks) kept the same team, pretty much, so I knew they were going to be a great team this year, with great players. ... That's why I wanted to sign here."

Rozsival snapped a 42-game playoff point drought with an assist in Game 5 of the Western finals, so after his assist on Shaw's goal, he is on a two-game point streak.

"He's been tremendous," defenseman Johnny Oduya said. "I think every time he played, he's been really, really good. Now that playoff time comes, he has the experience and as a veteran guy, he's very poised with the puck. Smart player, just calm all the time. He's one of those guys that you want to have around in a series like this. So, yeah, he's been tremendous."